The Other Half
by RogerShanksLuffy
Summary: Ichigo's Hollow Powers get replenished, but his Inner Hollow takes full control of his body. And he's out to get Orihime, the only one who's ever been able to suppress his power. Now the Soul Society has to protect her at all costs, but can't kill the Hollow, as they'd kill Ichigo as well...Takes place between Fullbring and BW Arcs, but contains spoilers from BW. M for Language.
1. Chapter 1

**New Bleach fanfic. I finally decided to read the final arc through from the start. This story will not contain any of the Wandenreich, as it is set before the war, but it will contain some spoilers about certain powers, so don't read it if you don't want to be spoiled. Or, you could read the manga and then come back. This takes place between the Xcution and Thousand Year Blood War Arcs. Enjoy. :)**

Ichigo and his friends were sitting in class just like any other day. The Ginjo incident had been only about a month ago, but it felt like almost a year had passed by.

"Okay class, school's done for the day." said their teacher as the bell rang. "Don't forget your homework."

"Man, that must have been the most boring lecture in the history of lectures." Ichigo mentioned to all of his friends. He was walking home with Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro.

"Don't tell me that you didn't pay attention." responded Uryu.

"Don't get me wrong, I took all the notes and everything, but it wasn't appealing at all."

"Actually, I have to agree with him this time. That was hard for me to listen to as well." commented Tatsuki.

"I think you guys should appreciate these little things more." said Orihime. "It's nice to have a normal day once in awhile without having to worry about hollows or Fullbringers." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. His combat pass went off.

"You spoke too soon, Orihime." Chad said.

"I'll go deal with this. I'll be right back."

 **X**

Ichigo came back later on to find his friends in his bedroom.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, going back into his regular body.

"Oh, your father invited us over for dinner since it was the weekend." Uryu explained.

"Oh." was all Ichigo said before sitting down on his bed.

"We already had dinner, but your dad saved you some if you want it." Orihime told him, pointing to the door.

"Oh, great." Ichigo opened the door and went downstairs.

"Dad? Dad! Hey, Dad!" Ichigo called out.

"He went out." Karin told him from atop the stairs.

"Out?" he asked.

"Yeah. He went to meet with Mr. Urahara."

"Huh? With Kisuke? About what?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell us anything. But it seemed serious." Ichigo was silent, and simply took his food up to his bedroom.

 **X**

"So, what did you call us here for?" Isshin asked, stepping into Kisuke Urahara's shop.

"You all are the people that I trust the most with this piece of information. Isshin. Shinji. Kensei. Rose. Yoruichi."

"Get on with it, Kisuke." Shinji said, somewhat irritated.

"Very well. You remember how we restored Ichigo's powers?"

"Of course. We injected that sword of yours with all of our spirit energies." Kensei answered.

"Yeah. Well, unfortunately, I've been realizing a certain drawback in that method recently. We only restored Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers. We didn't give him back his hollow powers. Rather, we couldn't. He's lasted so far, but...his powers are starting to become unstable without his inner hollow. If we don't replenish them soon, Ichigo's powers will tear him open from the inside out."

"So replenish them. I assume you've figured out how by now?" Rose asked.

"Of course I know how. But that's not the problem."

"After being away for so long, Ichigo's inner hollow is probably not going to just kneel down and continue letting him use his power just like before. Is that it?" Rose asked.

"That's right. Granted, he was able to defeat it before, but that was after it had been within him for a considerable amount of time, and he still had trouble. So now…"

"I get it. So you're worried that he'll lose control of it again, at least until he regains control, however long that will take." Kensei said.

"Right. But like I said, it's something that we must do. Otherwise, his powers will remain unstable."

"So what do you want us to do if he does lose control?"

"For the time being, I'd like us to take shifts with watching over him. Not up close, but from a distance, just keeping track of what happens."

"I'll start. I don't have much going on, and I'm sure Shuhei and Mashiro can handle any assignments directed to the squad."

"Alright then. But you're going to need to convince him to come here to get his powers replenished in the first place tomorrow."

"You can't do that yourself?"

"It'll be much faster without me having to take two trips."

"Alright, fine."

 **X**

Ichigo woke up like any other morning. He got dressed for school, went off, and sat through classes. After he was done for the day, he went home and did his homework. Before dinner though, his combat pass went off.

"Another hollow, huh?" he switched into his soul reaper form and went out into the streets to find the hollow. And there it was, in the park. Thankfully no one else was around. Ichigo went towards it, and took out Zangetsu. He slashed at it, but it dodged. It then countered and knocked Ichigo back.

"Hm...this one's a little bit intelligent. Getsuga Tensho!"

…...Nothing happened.

"What? Getsuga Tensho!" Again, it didn't work.

"Zangetsu, come on! What's wrong!" The hollow kicked Ichigo back while he was looking at his sword. "Damn… I guess I'll just have to take care of it without that technique." He jumped up and slashed the hollow's arms off and then down the middle.

"I wonder what that was about? My Getsuga didn't work…" Ichigo was about to resheath his Zanpakuto, but it suddenly dispersed into spirit particles along with his Shihakusho. He was back in his regular clothes without any spiritual powers.

"Why?! I didn't deactivate my powers yet!" Just then, another hollow appeared behind Ichigo. He tried to re-activate his powers, but it didn't work.

'Damn it...why is this happening?' Just as the hollow was about to attack him, it was impaled through its head.

"..." Ichigo looked over to where the hollow used to be, and found Kensei standing there, holding his sword back-handed.

"Kensei? Why are you-?"

"Urahara wants to see you. I'm simply here to bring you there."

"He...wants to see me?"

"That's right. It's about your dwindling powers that you just saw for yourself."

"Yeah, that...Maybe it would be good to talk about this with him."

"Good. Now come on. I'll explain things along the way." They started walking towards Kisuke's shop.

"So what is going on with this? I can't use my Getsuga Tensho, and my powers disappear without my consent."

"That's right. When we replenished your Spiritual Powers, we were unable to restore your Mask. I'm sure you've noticed this by now. I'm not entirely sure that you can remember when you fully hollowfy, but Vizards like us need both aspects of our power to use them effectively. If our Inner Hollows suddenly up and left us, our Soul Reaper powers would become unstable and unmaintainable, just like yours have. On the contrary, if our Soul Reaper Powers were suddenly suppressed or taken away from us, our Inner Hollows would take over."

"So what are you saying?"

"Pay attention!" he punched Ichigo's head.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!"

"You want the layman's terms?! Since you don't have your Hollow powers anymore, your Soul Reaper powers have become unstable!"

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?!"

"Because I felt like explaining it! I was hinting to when you fought us to control your powers. Because of the fact that your Inner Hollow was becoming stronger than your Soul Reaper powers, you became a full-on hollow for a short time."

"But you said that the other way around is also true. Wouldn't that mean that if I didn't have any Hollow Powers, that my Soul Reaper powers would become much stronger?"

"No." Kisuke said, coming out of the shop. They had arrived.

"Come on in."

"You were saying that my Soul Reaper powers aren't stronger than they used to be?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes. Well, in truth, your powers are stronger, but that's due to the fact that your powers were replenished by every Lieutenant and Captain in the 13 Court Guard Squads. A Soul Reaper's true power is their Bankai. There is no third release for a Zanpakuto. So if a Soul Reaper wants to become stronger than that, they have to cross over into the Hollow world, there's no other choice. The same is true for Hollows. If a Vasto Lorde wants to become stronger, then they have to become an Arrancar."

"So where are you going with all of this?"

"That someone like you, who has already crossed over to the World of Hollows, is at risk of losing your powers entirely if half of them suddenly disappear." he said darkly. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Finally get it, huh? That's right. If your Hollow powers are not replenished soon, then your Soul Reaper powers will remain unstable. That's what I called you here for tonight. To replenish your powers so that you can continue being a Soul Reaper."

"...Fine."

"I'll have to put you to sleep for this. Here, take these." He handed Ichigo two pills. He stared at them for a few moments.

"Don't worry. They're just strong sleeping pills that take effect immediately." Ichigo looked at them for a few moments before swallowing them, and quickly falling forward, unconscious. Kensei caught him, and he took him down to where the underground training area was. They laid him down, and Kisuke put a large pill in his mouth, making him swallow it. After a few seconds, his body began shaking, and he began hollowfying. Kisuke and Kensei jumped back.

"So I guess he can't control it after all. At least not yet. What do you plan to do?"

"For now, I'll trap him in a barrier." He quickly stood up and rushed towards the two, attempting to take them down.

"Hado #58: Tenran!" Kisuke quickly unsheathed his Zanpakuto and kept it levitating in the air while spinning it around. He then caught it and blasted a tornado towards Ichigo, pushing him back a considerable distance.

"Bakudo #99 Part 1: Kin!" Kisuke clasped his hands together while moving his index fingers behind his middle ones, and used a powerful binding spell to restrict Ichigo's arms behind his back. He then used a spiritual fabric to bring his whole body down to the ground, and keep it there. But he still tried to break out.

"Bakudo #75: Gochūtekkan!" Kisuke locked his hands together and slammed them on the ground, causing 5 strong pillars to rain down and pin Ichigo further into the ground.

"Roppo Fujin!" Kisuke once again clapped his hands together, and a green barrier formed around Ichigo, keeping him there at last. (This is one of the barriers that Hachi used on Barragan.)

"That should hold him for now, but I may need to subdue him again if he breaks out."

"So you're just going to hold him here, like this?" Kensei growled.

"What else would you like me to do? Kill him? There's not many who can do that with that level of spiritual pressure. And besides, Ichigo will wake up in his Inner World, and fight to regain control of himself. But in the meantime, you're keeping an eye on him."

"Alright, alright." Kisuke walked out.

 **X**

Ichigo wasn't in school. Since it was a Friday, most of the students just assumed he had taken an extra day off for a long weekend, but Orihime knew that wasn't the truth. It wasn't like him to miss anything. He hardly ever got sick. The only reason he would ever be absent is if he was on Soul Reaper business. But for a whole day? She was worried. But with all this worrying, it was already time to leave before she realized it.

"Orihime! Are you alright?" Tatsuki asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Just thinking about something."

"Are you coming or not? We were going to go the library after school, remember?"

"Oh...yeah, I'll be there. But first I have to make a quick stop. I'll head to the library after."

"Oh, okay. You want me to come with you?"

"No, it's okay. I don't want to be a burden or anything. Trust me, I won't take long." She gathered her things and quickly left. She needed to head to the Kurosaki Clinic right away. She knocked on the door of the Kurosaki Clinic when she arrived there, and after a few moments, Isshin answered.

"Ah! Orihime! What are you doing here?!" He asked excitedly.

"H-Hello, Mr. Kurosaki. Is Ichigo around?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. He wasn't feeling well this morning, so he stayed home for the day."

"Would you mind if I visited him?"

"Oh, I'm afraid not. He said he didn't want any of his friends to come by today. He doesn't want you to get sick either."

"O-oh. But he's here, right?"

"Yes, don't worry. We're taking good care of him." he smiled.

"Thank you for telling me."

He nodded and closed the door. Orihime smiled back, but then frowned as soon as he walked away.

"Something about this doesn't make sense...I don't sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure in his room. Mr. Kurosaki was lying…" Orihime turned around and started walking towards Urahara's shop.

"Kensei! Orihime's heading in this direction!" Kisuke called out.

"And what about it?"

"She's probably coming here because she sensed Ichigo, dumbass! So don't let her see him in this condition!" Jinta yelled down.

"Can't you stall her? I'm supposed to keep watch anyway!"

"You're more convincing! She knows me too well, she'll know I'm lying!"

"Fine! Then switch places with me! Someone has to watch him!" He climbed up the ladder into the main shop, while Kisuke climbed down to keep watch over Ichigo. Orihime knocked on the door before it slid open.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Orihime. Need something?"

"Oh! Mr...Um...I'm sorry...I'm afraid I never learned your name. The only Vizards I ever knew personally were Shinji and Hiyori…"

"It's Kensei. Kensei Muguruma."

"Nice to meet you, Kensei. What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing Kisuke a favor. Did you need something from him?"

"I...sensed Ichigo's spiritual pressure here...He wasn't in school today. Is he training?"

"Yeah. That's what I'm here for. He wanted to train, so Urahara called me here to help him out. He doesn't really want to be disturbed, sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to make sure that he was okay." she smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry. He'll be fine."

"Okay. Say hi to him for me." She turned around and started heading home. Kensei sighed, and closed the door behind him. He climbed down the ladder.

"Alright, she's all...Kisuke?" He looked around before finding Urahara lying on the ground, injured.

"Kisuke! What happened?"

"His Inner Hollow's taking over." He stood up again and unsheathed his Zanpakuto from his Cane Sword. Kensei took his out of his sheath. Meanwhile, Ichigo, now in a fully hollowfied form, easily broke out of the barriers and seals that were keeping him bound. He became enveloped in light before Urahara's Roppo Fujin was sliced in half. What emerged from the barrier was no longer simply a hollowfied human. It was, in fact, Zangetsu. As in, Ichigo's Zanpakuto Spirit, his Inner Hollow, Ogihci. He looked over at the two before smirking.

"It's worse than we thought…" Kisuke muttered. Ogihci used Flash Step to stand right in front of them.

"Ichigo is locked away in our...or should I say, my, Inner World. He's now a part of me, unlike before when I was a part of him."

Kensei rushed towards him and clashed with his Zanpakuto, sending Ogihci back a considerable distance.

"Blast Away, Tachikaze!" Wind energy swirled around him and enveloped his blade before it transformed into its smaller, knife form. He slashed through the air, creating large green wind blades that went towards the white being. He quickly unsheathed his Zangetsu and swung it around, dispersing Kensei's attack.

"Awaken, Benihime! Scream!" Urahara launched his red burst of energy towards Ogihci, cutting through the ground with ease.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He used his Zanpakuto's signature technique, countering Kisuke's technique. It created a large explosion near the two, temporarily blinding them, leaving Zangetsu enough time to slip past them and exit into the outside world.

"Damn it! He got away!" Kensei cursed, the two of them quickly climbing the ladder and leaving the shop, searching through the street.

"We need to start looking for him right away. Who knows what he'll do while he's in control of Ichigo's body?"

"I'll do that. You contact the others and let them know." Kensei said, using Flash Step to teleport towards the main streets of the city.

 **X**

"Huh? What happened? Ichigo's spiritual pressure just...disappeared...What happened to him?" Orihime asked, lying in her bed, preparing to go to sleep.

"Should I...go after him?" She asked herself, sitting up.

"Don't bother. I came to you." Zangetsu said, using Flash Step to appear crouched in her window, staring menacingly at her.

"Wh-Who are you?!" she cried out.

"I'm the guy that's going to kill you."

 **End.**

 **What'd you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Songs**

 **Kenpachi vs. Zangetsu: Showing Off (Bleach OST)**

 **Zangetsu's True Shikai: Treachery (Bleach OST)**

 **Yachiru vs. Zangetsu: Heat of the Battle (Bleach OST)**

 **Unohana Steps in: On the Precipice of Defeat (Bleach OST)**

"I'm the guy who's going to kill you."

"Wh-What?!" Orihime screamed, starting to sit up before Zangetsu teleported on top of her bed frame and pointed his Zanpakuto against her throat, keeping her down.

"Don't make this hard for yourself. Just let this happen." He raised the sword slightly, preparing to strike down. Orihime couldn't breathe. Was she really about to die? She closed her eyes in fear, but she did not feel anything pierce her. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she saw herself being carried by Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's dad. He ran across the rooftops with her under his arm.

"M-Mr. Kurosaki?!"

"Hey, Orihime! You alright?"

"Y-Yes, but...what are you doing here?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm protecting you from him!" He gestured behind him, where Zangetsu was following closely behind, angry. Isshin landed on one of the rooftops and quickly put Orihime down before unsheathing his Zanpakuto.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

"Getsuga Tensho!" The two techniques clashed with each other before exploding.

"I'm tired of dealing with you Soul Reapers. Hand over the girl. Now!"

"..."

"Well? Are you going to or not?!"

"Burn, Engetsu!" Isshin's Zanpakuto didn't change appearance, but became coated in a thick blue spirit energy.

"Of course not." he sighed. "Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu!" Ogihci's Zanpakuto became its smaller, more compact, white katana version. He used an extremely fast Flash Step to move around Isshin, slashing from every side. The former Captain kept up with the strikes, but it was no easy task. Zangetsu's speed was so extreme that he was able to make clones that surrounded Isshin.

"Getsuga Tensho!" They all yelled, launching numerous white blasts towards him.

"Damn it!" Isshin quickly grabbed Orihime and tried to escape, but was still struck by some of the attacks, injuring him.

"Looks like I win if this next attack hits." He flew down towards them, readying his sword to slice through Isshin's back. Just then, Kensei slashed him across the stomach with his Tachikaze, making Zangetsu jump back and land where he was before. Isshin landed on the ground with Orihime safely in tow, and looked up.

"Leave this to me! Just take her and go!" Isshin didn't ask twice, and took off.

"Oh no you don't!" he yelled, getting ready to chase after them again.

"I don't think so!" Kensei yelled. He engulfed his Zanpakuto with wind energy and then compressed it into a sphere, before blasting it towards him.

"Tch! Damn you!" He dodged and fired another Getsuga Tensho towards Kensei. The Vizard Captain sliced through it with his knife.

"I don't have any time to waste on you." Zangetsu said, glaring at him.

"What a coincidence. Neither do I. Bankai! Tekken Tachikaze!"

Zangetsu raised his hand above his head before donning his hollow mask, the fully white one with two black streaks going down over the eyes.

'He can use hollowfication even in that form?' Kensei rushed towards him, preparing to lariat him with his knuckle blades.

"I'll destroy you!" He readied his sword and slashed towards him, trying to break through his torso armor, but was unsuccessful.

"You'd better try again. My Bankai's armor is stronger than steel! You won't be able to cut through it that easily!" He slammed his fist and blade into the hollow's stomach, causing him to cough up blood. He kicked Kensei in the chest, sending him back a distance. Zangetsu smirked.

"If I were you, I wouldn't forget the fact that this is still Ichigo's body. Any damage you do to me, you do to him."

"Don't bullshit me. I know that you can use Instant Regeneration. You can heal any damage I dish out to you easily."

"But if you were to cause damage to any internal organs, or to kill me entirely, Ichigo would no longer live. Especially since he's already a Soul Reaper, he would not be reborn in the Soul Society or as a Hollow, or Whole, or anything. Go right ahead if you want. But you'd be losing a valuable ally."

Kensei gritted his teeth.

"I thought so." He released his Bankai, going back to his giant khyber knife-like Zanpakuto.

"I suppose I'll kill that woman later on. See ya." He grinned, using Flash Step to leave the battlefield.

Kensei regained his composure, and deactivated his Bankai, re-materializing his trench knife Shikai. He released his remaining Spiritual Pressure, causing the knife to revert back to its sealed katana form. He re-sheathed it, and used Flash Step to go back to Urahara's Shop.

 **X**

"Urahara. I'm back." Kensei opened the door and walked into the shop. He stood near Orihime, who looked confused, and had appeared to be crying.

"What happened?"

"I fought him, but he decided to leave. I'm not sure why. He said he could kill Orihime later."

"Um...what's going on?" Orihime asked, frightened.

"...Should we tell her?" Kensei asked.

"I had hoped to avoid it, but if he's after her, we have no choice." Kisuke sighed. "It's better to be safe than sorry, so I suppose I'll tell the captains as well. Gather everyone for a Captains and Lieutenants meeting tomorrow. We'll explain everything there." Kensei nodded and left. Kisuke looked down at Orihime.

"You should stay here for the night. The way things are, it wouldn't be wise to stay at your place until this whole thing is settled." She nodded silently.

 **X**

Kensei and the others met at Urahara's shop in the morning, and opened the official Senkaimon, having a Hell Butterfly with them. They walked through without any trouble. Orihime was silent the whole way.

They entered the Squad 1 Barracks and into the Meeting Hall where the rest of the Captains and Lieutenants were already waiting.

"Urahara? What's this about?" Renji asked.

"I'll explain everything, trust me."

"Everyone, take your places." The Captains all lined up, while their Lieutenants went behind them. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin, and Orihime remained at the end of the hall.

"Kisuke Urahara, may I ask why it is that you called this meeting?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked.

"Yes. I wanted to warn you all about an approaching threat, and come up with some countermeasures for it."

"What kind of threat?" He opened his eyes slightly. Kisuke sighed.

"If you all remember, one month ago, we poured all of our spirit energy into a special sword I created in order to restore Ichigo Kurosaki's Soul Reaper powers. We were successful, but recently, I became aware of a flaw that we created. While we were able to restore his Soul Reaper powers, we were unable to bring back his powers of Hollowfication."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Shunsui asked.

"Not in his case, no." Isshin answered and took over. He stepped forward.

"In the cases of Rose, Shinji, and Kensei, if they lose their hollow powers, they would be fine. This is because they obtained them long after they had mastered their Soul Reaper abilities. However, in Ichigo's case, he's had his Inner Hollow with him since he was a baby. As a result, his Hollow powers have adapted and grown alongside his Soul Reaper ones. If he suddenly lost them, his Soul Reaper powers would become unstable."

"If that's the case, does that mean that his powers are already unstable?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes. I developed a special kind of pill that would restore his Hollow powers. He already ingested it. However, his Inner Hollow quickly took over, presumably not wanting to be suppressed again after being gone for so long. As a countermeasure, I restrained him with a few strong Kido barriers, but it wasn't enough. Soon after, his Inner Hollow completely possessed his body and broke out. It's now free and running amok." Everyone gasped.

"So then what happened to Ichigo?!" Rukia yelled.

"As I mentioned, his body is taken over by his Hollow. So right now, there is no Ichigo. Hopefully, he'll be able to regain control again, but until that time comes, it would be smart to prepare in case he decides to attack. He's unpredictable."

"Forget that! I say we go and attack him before he attacks us!" Kenpachi asserted.

"I wouldn't advise that, either." Kensei said.

"What?!"

"He's still using Ichigo's body. Which means that if we kill him, we kill Ichigo too."

"What?!" Orihime screamed.

"It's true." he nodded. "If we want Ichigo to remain alive, then we can't kill his Hollow. He has to retake control on his own. And because he's already a Soul Reaper, if we end up killing him, he'll be gone for good. He won't be reborn in the Soul Society."

"Of course. It goes without saying that I won't kill him. Otherwise, who would be able to give me a decent challenge?!" Kenpachi said excitedly, running off. The others sighed.

"Does someone want to go after him?"

"I suppose I will." Unohana offered, surprising some. "Isane."

"Yes, Captain." She handed her her Zanpakuto, which she slung over her shoulder. She sighed, and used Flash Step to disappear.

"I suppose we'll have to tell those two about this after, but...Hollow Ichigo is after Orihime. In the past, she's been the only one who's ever been able to suppress his Hollowfying rampages. Thus, he wants to kill her so that his power remains at its peak. I think it would be smart to leave her in the Soul Society for now, under the protection of one of the squads."

"Hmph. Very well. Any captains willing to watch over her?"

"Squad 9 will take responsibility for her, sir. I've been keeping an eye on her and Ichigo since the experiment started." Kensei said.

"Very well. Since we don't know where he'll attack, or even if he will, I have no specific directions for any of you. Just make sure your squads stay on guard and be prepared to defend the Soul Society in case anything happens. Dismissed." Shuhei walked over to Orihime.

"Hey, Orihime. Do you want me to show you around our barracks and get you settled?"

"...Yes, I think that would be just what I need right now." she sighed.

 **X**

"Yachiru!" The small Lieutenant jumped onto Kenpachi's shoulder as he continued running.

"Where are we going, Kenny?" she asked excitedly.

"Didn't you hear what I said back in the meeting? I'm going to fight Ichigo's Inner Hollow! We're gonna take him down before he has a chance to attack us."

"Do you even know where he is?"

"Nope. And I can't sense Spiritual Pressure, either."

"Then what do you hope to accomplish?" Unohana asked, arriving in front of him.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"I decided to follow you. Besides, you have no idea where he is, and your sense of direction is terrible."

"And you followed me to tell me how terrible my common sense is? I'm a fighter, not a thinker."

"Which is why you need a thinker with you. I'm going to help you find him."

"I don't need your help, Unohana. Trust me, I can handle this on my own. You know how I am. If I die in battle, then so be it."

"...He's up at Sokyoku Hill.." Kenpachi grinned and took off towards the highest point in the Seireitei.

She waited a few minutes before going after him, but maintaining a distance. After about an hour, they arrived. Unohana continued to watch from behind one of the nearby trees.

"Hey!" Kenpachi yelled out. Zangetsu frowned and turned around.

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to fight you!"

"Fight me? You?"

"That's right. I'm Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11!"

"I know who you are, Captain. I share all of Ichigo's memories. But someone like you won't be able to defeat me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I know it for a fact. You and I have a similar mindset. You see, I am Ichigo's purest instincts. So I like to fight, just like Squad 11. But you're not worth my time."

"Well, that's too bad. Because you're worth mine!" He rushed towards the entity and slashed, but Zangetsu blocked it and slashed his Zanpakuto to knock Kenpachi off balance. He quickly recovered and continued to swing his sword, while Zangetsu continued to block it.

"I think you're the perfect opponent for me!" he laughed.

"And why's that?" Zangetsu knocked his sword back and slashed Kenpachi across his stomach.

"I've been wanting a rematch with Ichigo since we first fought! And here you are, with all of his abilities, but with a murderous mindset! I couldn't ask for a better fight!" He plunged his sword towards Zangetsu and pierced through his sword and right into his chest, surprising the Zanpakuto spirit.

"...I see...You're really serious, aren't you? Alright, I'll indulge you. To tell you the truth, I haven't had a good fight in a long time either!" Zangetsu pulled the sword out of him and swung his sword upward to set it free again.

"Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!" Zangetsu began slashing at Kenpachi with his much faster and more maneuverable Bankai. Kenpachi continued to block them, but was having some trouble now. He quickly removed his eyepatch and released a huge burst of yellow spirit energy. Zangetsu grinned maniacally.

"Now that's more like it!" He started slashing harder against the powerful captain and successfully knocked him back.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Zangetsu fired a white Getsuga Tensho towards Kenpachi.

"Hah!" Kenpachi slammed his sword against the ground, launching a wave of yellow energy to counter the other one. The two attacks exploded, and the two fighters rushed through the smoke and continued attacking each other.

"As powerful as you are, Kenpachi...you still don't know the name of your Zanpakuto yet, do you?"

"I don't need to!"

"WITH THAT MINDSET, YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME!" He slashed upwards, creating a massive wound across Kenpachi's chest. He gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Slay." Red spiritual pressure rushed around him while his sword became enveloped in a white light. Zangetsu stretched his left hand out, as the white light expanded and began to form an object in that hand as well. The light flashed brilliantly, and when it died down, Kenpachi saw something he wasn't expecting.

Zangetsu now held two separate blades, both jet black. In his right hand was a large blade, roughly the same size as his regular Shikai. It had a thin, hollowed-out portion against the back edge of the blade, extending from the base to the middle. The other blade, in his left hand, was much smaller, about the size of his arm. It resembled a trench knife more, and the blade was completely solid. The only opening was a small indent at the base, just big enough for him to slip his hand through and wield it.

'What is that? Another form of his Zanpakuto? Impossible…' Unohana thought to herself.

"What's the meaning of this? Are you so overwhelmed by my power that you're resorting to cheap tricks?!"

"Tricks? Whatever do you mean?" He chuckled, slowly lowering his arms so that the blades were parallel to each other.

"I'm well aware that Ichigo's Zanpakuto is constantly in its released state, due to the amount of Spiritual Pressure he exerts on it. That rule should also extend to you. You even activated your Bankai. Your last weapon should be your full power. So what's the deal?"

"Yes...In truth, Ichigo himself doesn't know about this yet. But what I was using before...are not our true Shikai or Bankai. What I'm using now is the true Shikai of Zangetsu. My first released state."

"What do you mean?"

"Ichigo's mother was attacked by a Hollow before he was born. Some of the residual spirit energy passed on into him when he was born. Because of that, he has always had some level of Hollow power inside of him. It also explains why he has the capability of performing Fullbring. You see, Ichigo's father is a Soul Reaper, so he has Soul Reaper powers inside of him inherently. Meanwhile, his mother was a Quincy, so he has dormant Quincy powers inside of him as well. While I act as the source of his Hollow abilities, I am also the real manifestation of his Zanpakuto. Not the Old Man. That Zangetsu represents his Quincy powers."

"I still don't get it." He readied his sword again.

"Well, perhaps I'll show you to demonstrate." He formed an X-shape with the blades and rushed towards Kenpachi. He slashed with the large blade and nearly split Kenpachi's sword in half. It was weighed down against the ground.

"GRGGGGHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Kenpachi yelled.

Zangetsu smirked and then sliced him across the chest with the smaller blade. He used the larger blade again and took it off the other sword to stab Kenpachi. He fell onto his back, covered in blood.

"Honestly, I'd thought you'd put up a better fight. Allow me to finish my explanation. Like I said, I'm the real manifestation of Ichigo's Zanpakuto. I am Zangetsu. Meaning that I know about my own powers and abilities much more than Ichigo does. The forms of Zangetsu you saw before...well, they're just a result of the fusion between Ichigo's Hollow and Soul Reaper powers. What I'm using now, these two blades; they're my Shikai. But, that's not to say that I can't access the first two forms, like I did before. Since I'm both his Inner Hollow and Zanpakuto Spirit, I can still use that fused state. In fact, I often start with them. These forms are much stronger than the previous ones because they're the real deal. Get it now?"

"You...bastard…"

"Well...so long, Kenpachi Zaraki." He sneered and readied the large blade, pointing it downwards at Kenpachi's throat.

"Sanpo Kenju!"

"Hm?" Zangetsu suddenly got knocked back. He flipped up and recovered, and slid on the dirt a bit. When he looked up, he saw Yachiru standing in front of Kenpachi with two beasts behind her.

"What the hell are those?" he laughed.

"These are my friends, Lumpy and Boney!" The creature known as "Boney" was tall and made completely of bone. It wore a black cloak and had a large bone running through its head vertically, wielding a long dagger-like blade that had another blade coming out of the top edge. The other creature, known as "Lumpy", was short and covered in white fur, leaving its eyes only partially visible. It wielded a large cleaver.

'She called out Sanpo Kenju before those things appeared...So that's her Zanpakuto, I'm guessing?'

Yachiru held her sword horizontally, before using Flash Step to appear in front of Zangetsu and slash her sword. The white being prepared to block it, but was knocked away again by something.

"Grgh...what is this?" He looked back at the small Lieutenant to see that she had missed, but the small creature, Lumpy, was standing beside her, and had swung in the same attack pattern that she had. Just then, the large creature, Boney, appeared in front of him and slashed in the same way. Zangetsu blocked it and landed back on the ground.

'They all attacked in the same way. The big one attacked after her, and considering what happened when I was standing there, the small one probably attacks before.'

"You figured it out?" she asked.

"I think I did. The small creature attacks before you, then you attack, then the large creature attacks. If that's right, then it doesn't matter if you miss or not, because one of the others is almost guaranteed to hit. Am I right?"

"You are!" she giggled. "But even though you figured it out, it's not that easy to dodge or block all of the attacks." She once again used flash step to appear above him and slashed downward. Zangetsu held his large blade in front of him, and blocked the strike from Lumpy. He then blocked Yachiru's attack with his smaller blade. Boney then appeared behind him and slashed downward. Zangetsu used Flash Step to dodge it and get away.

"You avoided them all." she giggled. Zangetsu was silent for a moment before smirking.

"If I can avoid them once, I can do it as many times as you attack me. But also...your Zanpakuto may be interesting, but it's the same as everyone else's in Squad 11. You're a direct melee type. Even though you deliver 3 attacks at a time and they're hard to dodge, you have to hit your opponent at a close distance for the power to work. So as long as I keep my distance...Getsuga Tensho!" He used the larger blade and fired off a white Getsuga Tensho towards the three. She and Lumpy dodged it, but because of Boney's ability, he was hit and destroyed.

"Boney!" Yachiru called out. Zangetsu appeared in front of Lumpy and sliced it in half.

"Lumpy…"

"Your Zanpakuto is a very simple one." He cut Yachiru and knocked her back with the small blade.

"Yachiru…" Kenpachi appeared behind Zangetsu and stabbed him. The white entity was not fazed. He tossed the large blade up and caught it back-handed before stabbing behind him, right into Kenpachi's chest.

"How many times must I put you down before you get it? I'm a master of melee combat. And I'm stronger than any of you in Squad 11. If you want to defeat me, you're going to have to either be able to fully release your Zanpakuto, or be stronger than me in direct combat. Obviously, both you and your Lieutenant fall short in both of these categories." He removed the blade forcefully, causing Kenpachi to collapse.

"...Are you going to fight me too?" Zangetsu looked over at Unohana, who was walking towards him.

"No, I have no intention of fighting you. I'm simply here to bring these two back to their barracks for healing."

"Hm." Zangetsu used Flash Step and slashed towards Unohana. She quickly unsheathed her Zanpakuto and blocked the strike from both blades easily.

"!" He jumped back.

"...I told you that I wasn't here to fight." she said, with a blood red spiritual energy surrounding her.

"..."

"Minazuki." Her Zanpakuto transformed into a green liquid before assembling and forming a green manta ray creature. It swallowed Kenpachi and Yachiru. Zangetsu released his blades, forming his original Bankai.

"It seems...that you possess both qualities."

"What do you mean?"

"You're strong...much stronger than him...and you possess Bankai, do you not?"

"..."

"You have the ability to defeat me." he smirked.

"Maybe so, but like I said, I don't wish to fight you. At least not right now." She climbed onto her Zanpakuto's Shikai and flew off. Zangetsu released his Bankai, going back to his original giant Shikai.

 **X**

Unohana landed in her barracks and released her Zanpakuto. It dissolved into steam, and re-entered its sheath, forming the blade again. A few squad members came out to greet her.

"Captain Unohana!"

"Take Lieutenant Kusajishi in for treatment. I will heal Captain Zaraki in my office personally."

"Yes, ma'am!" A few of the members carried Kenpachi's body into Unohana's examination room.

"Thank you, you may leave me now."

"Captain, are you sure you don't want Lieutenant Kotetsu's assistance?"

"That won't be necessary."

"Understood." They left and she closed and locked the door. She put up a healing barrier around Kenpachi to finish healing his wounds. He slowly opened his eyes.

"So you're finally conscious."

"Did I...really lose like that?"

"Yes. It seems his power is far stronger than anything we thought."

"Do you realize what that means?"

"That we need to eliminate him as soon as possible?"

"That's right. And we may not be able to do it without killing him...You should fight him."

"Me? What can I do against him?"

"Let's not play this game, Yachiru." Her expression darkened. "Most of us captains are around the same level of strength. If I was beaten, then most of the others would as well. It stands to reason that only Ukitake, Kyoraku, you, and the Old Man would be able to fight him and win."

"And I ask again...why me? Why not just the Head Captain?"

"He knows all of our abilities...except yours. He's aware of the Old Man's powers. But not yours. It falls to you to defeat him."

"...You need to rest. You should be able to fight again in a few days." She left the room.

"Captain Unohana!" Isane called out.

"Yes?"

"The Head Captain called another meeting. Shall we go?" 

"I suppose." She started to walk towards the Squad 1 Barracks.

" _It falls to you to defeat him."_

"..."

 **End.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Songs**

 **Zangetsu vs. Chojiro: Invasion (Bleach OST)**

 **Chojiro's Bankai: Piercer of Heaven (Bleach OST)**

 **Zanka no Tachi: On the Precipice of Defeat (Bleach OST)**

 **Kinshara Butōdan: Villain Invasion (Boku no Hero Academia OST)**

"Here we are again." Yamamoto said. The other captains were standing in their usual places.

"And why are we only a few hours after our last meeting?" Soi Fon asked impatiently.

"Squad 11 Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and Squad 11 Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, have been defeated in battle against Ichigo's Inner Hollow."

"What?!" Everyone was startled.

"Captain Unohana, you have information to report?"

"Yes." She stepped forward. "There's a few things. First of all, I believe I figured out why your experiment didn't work out, Kisuke."

"Huh? Why not?"

"The entity that we saw up on Sokyoku Hill...it was not only Ichigo Kurosaki's Inner Hollow, but also his Zanpakuto Spirit."

"What? But Ichigo always said that his Zanpakuto Spirit is the Old Man in his Inner World."

"Well, apparently, that spirit is something different. This spirit is the real Zangetsu. When Ichigo regained his Soul Reaper powers last month, this spirit had already existed inside of him. When you used that pill, you simply increased the Hollow energy, and amplified his psychotic personality."

"So that's it, huh?"

"Secondly is that he has four Zanpakuto releases."

"What? How is that possible?" Yamamoto asked.

"Every Zanpakuto has two releases, there can't be more than that!" Ukitake protested.

"Allow me to explain. The Zanpakuto releases that we are used to seeing Ichigo use are just a result of his Soul Reaper and Hollow powers fusing together. Being his Zanpakuto Spirit, this white Zangetsu has more knowledge about his own Zanpakuto than Ichigo does. Because of this, he's able to release the true Shikai form of Zangetsu, and although he didn't use it in that fight, I assume he also has a Bankai release as well. Therefore, he can release his Zanpakuto 3 more times from its initial release."

"Was there anything else?"

"I believe that at some point, he will launch an attack against us. Right now, he's up at Sokyoku Hill, preparing."

"Then consider my previous order in a higher effect. All Captains and Lieutenants are to remain on guard at all times."

"Head Captain, shouldn't we just send someone up there to deal with it before he can cause any damage to the Seireitei?" Shinji asked.

"No. I believe it would be wise to wait for now. We should have him come to us. Besides, if we go up there, who's to say he won't disappear to somewhere else again, and then we wouldn't know where he would be. Trust me, for now, this is the right course of action. If the situation changes, then I will change my mind as well, but for now, guard the Seireitei. Dismissed!" He tapped his staff on the ground. The captains began to disperse. Unohana walked up to Yamamoto.

"Head Captain, could we talk in private?"

"Of course. We'll talk in my office." He lead her there, and sat at his desk.

"Well, what is it? What did you need to talk about?"

"I'd like you to leave the task of fighting Zangetsu to me."

"To you?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes. Considering that Captain Zaraki was beaten rather easily, and that most of the other captains are around his level of strength, the only ones capable of fighting him are Jushiro, Shunsui, myself, and you. He also shares Ichigo's memories, which would mean that he's aware of the abilities of you three. He wouldn't know about my powers."

"Just because he's aware of our abilities does not mean that he's able to stop them."

"..." Yamamoto looked around to make sure no one else was nearby.

"Yachiru, what is this really about?" he asked quietly.

"...I've been thinking...that soon, I'd like to fight Zaraki once and for all. And have him take my title."

"You realize that if that happens, one of you will-"

"Die, yes. I'm well aware. But I haven't fought anyone in centuries. And so to get back into it, I think that this will be a good warm-up for me."

"...Very well. I'll leave you in charge of collecting any new information about this as well."

"There's one other thing. Orihime Inoue is in the care of Squad 9, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I'd like to transfer her to mine. I'll look after her. She's a healer. I believe healing the sick and wounded and making the better will calm her down and make her feel better."

"Understood. You can go and pick her up at the Squad 9 Barracks."

"Yes, I'll go do that." She turned around and began walking away.

"...Are you sure about this?"

"...Yes." She continued walking onward.

 **X**

"Captain...Kurosaki?"

"Hm? Oh, Captain Unohana. You can just call me Isshin now."

"Could I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Was your wife...a Quincy?" The question caught him off guard, and looked around to make sure that no one else was there.

"How do you know about that?"

"Zangetsu mentioned it up on Sokyoku Hill. He said that he can attain his true Zanpakuto releases when he mixes together the Soul Reaper and Quincy powers inside of Ichigo. He said that Ichigo's mother was a Quincy, and that she was attacked by a Hollow, passing those powers on to Ichigo when he was born. Is it true?"

"...Yes. Masaki was attacked by an experimental Hollow that Aizen created. She subsequently lost her powers, but passed them on into Ichigo when he was born."

"I see."

"What's in this for you?"

"Head Captain Yamamoto left me in charge of the investigation for this matter. I'm trying to find out as much as I can. But don't worry, I won't disclose anything that the others don't have to know."

"Thank you." Isshin breathed a sigh of relief.

 **X**

"Orihime?" Unohana was looking around Squad 9's Barracks to get her.

"Captain Unohana." Shuhei walked down the hall towards her.

"Ah, Lieutenant Hisagi. I was wondering if you could help me find Ms. Inoue."

"Yeah, she's down this hall. Her room's next to the Lieutenant's quarters. May I ask why?"

"Head Captain Yamamoto's given me permission to move her to Squad 4, if that's alright?"

"Oh, yes...Of course. Like I said, she's next to my room."

"Thank you." She nodded and left, heading down the hall. She knocked on Orihime's door.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Orihime?"

"Yes?" She opened the door. "Oh! Captain Unohana...what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course! Right away!" She opened the door all the way, and Unohana walked in, shutting it behind her. She looked around the room to see that Orihime had set up her room quite nicely. It was neat and tidy, and she had a few books set up on her desk. One of them was currently open on her desk, a pink book, with a pen nearby.

"You seem to be doing much better than when you came here a few days ago."

"Yes. I like it here in Squad 9."

"Really?"

"They're very friendly. And they're also in charge of arts and culture, so I'm helping them write some articles for the Seireitei Communication."

"And that's helped calm you down?"

"Now that you mention it, I suppose it has. I sometimes write at home, so it just made me feel like I was there, I guess."

"I see. Anyways, I'm here to bring you to Squad 4 on Head Captain Yamamoto's orders."

"Oh...really?"

"Yes. Unless you're happier here?"

"If you don't mind? I like it here. It's cozy."

"It's fine." she chuckled. "But in any case, you are to be placed under my care from now on. Lieutenant Hisagi and Captain Muguruma answer to me if something concerns you."

"I understand. Thank you, Captain."

"Always happy to help."

 **X**

"Alright. That should be enough." Zangetsu opened his eyes, remaining in his meditating position. His Spirit Energy began to surround him before splitting off into small portions, 13 of them. The small bursts twirled around in the air for a few moments before they began to materialize into an exact copy of Zangetsu. The original sighed.

"Alright. All of you will go to the 13 divisions and take out the Lieutenants and Captains of the divisions." They all used Flash Step to head off to the different barracks.

"...So you've arrived." Chojiro confronted his Zangetsu in the Squad 1 Barracks.

Another one appeared in Omaeda's room, but he was sleeping heavily. Zangetsu raised his Zanpakuto over him.

"As much as I'd like to see him gone, I'm going to have to stop you." Soi Fon said, standing behind her opponent.

The third Zangetsu appeared in front of the Squad 3 Barracks, and began to walk towards the entrance. He opened the doors and found Izuru standing there.

The fourth appeared in the Squad 4 Barracks and went to the Captain's quarters to find Unohana filling out paperwork at her desk. Zangetsu smirked.

The fifth one appeared at Squad 5 and found Momo and Shinji already sitting on the roof of the barracks.

"Yo." Shinji greeted.

The sixth Zangetsu appeared at the Squad 6 barracks, where he immediately had to block an attack from Renji.

The seventh one showed up in front of Squad 7's Barracks, where Tetsuzaemon and Komamura were.

The eighth one went to Squad 8, where Shunsui met him.

A ninth went to Squad 10, where Rangiku and Toshiro were.

A tenth went to Squad 11, where Yumichika and Ikkaku were.

An eleventh went to Squad 12, where Nemu and Mayuri were.

A twelfth was at Squad 13, where Rukia and Ukitake were.

The final, the thirteenth, arrived at Squad 9's Barracks.

'I can sense Orihime here. Which means this is the most important place to be.'

"So it's you." Zangetsu looked behind him and found Shuhei there.

"So you're going to fight me? Very well."

 **X**

"So then. Let's see how strong you Lieutenants are. I'm ready to take all of you down first, then your captains."

"You will not be successful. Head Captain Yamamoto gave us permission to use our powers to the fullest extent in order to defeat you. We have no restrictions, spiritual or Zanpakuto-wise." Chojiro said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." he grinned maliciously. Chojiro used Flash Step to appear near him and began swinging his sword. The Zanpakuto Spirit blocked the strikes and slashed towards Chojiro, but the Lieutenant easily dodged them.

"Your strikes are slow. If you want any hope of beating me, you'll have to use your Bankai. At least that way, we'll have a decent fight going."

"You're the last Lieutenant I expected to say that. I thought you Squad 1 members were all about honor. And you're saying you want a better fight?"

"It's precisely because I'm honorable that I want this fight to be fair. Squad 1's symbol is the Chrysanthemum. It symbolizes Truth and Innocence. Our beliefs are to seek the truth no matter what but remain innocent of it enough that it doesn't harm those around us."

"I'd say your Head Captain doesn't really personify the last part. Doesn't he view the 13 Squads as a means to the end? If an officer dies, they get replaced. That's how your military works."

"Perhaps that's how you see it...but there's a large difference in opinion from viewing our forces and serving in them."

"I beg to differ. Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu!" He used his smaller blade.

"Pierce. Gonryomaru." Chojiro's Zanpakuto gained a cup hilt, becoming a rapier, and some light purple lightning streamed through it.

"A lightning-based Zanpakuto, huh? Interesting." Chojiro began to strike at him, but Zangetsu blocked it just like in his previous state. Zangetsu slashed to the left and right randomly, which Chojiro tried to fend off, but the strikes were powerful and not as easy to block as last time.

"What's wrong, Lieutenant? You seem like you're a little overwhelmed!" Zangetsu laughed. Chojiro remained silent and continued blocking. Zangetsu knocked him back and got ready to impale him. Chojiro closed his eyes and confidently blocked the strike. He went back on the offensive, continuously slashing.

"What the hell is going on here? The only time Ichigo ever fought you, he beat you in one hit. So why are you-?!"

"You want to know why? That first strike did surprise me, true, but when I recovered, Captain Kuchiki had already begun fighting him. That's all there is to it."

"Tch! Getsuga Tensho!" Zangetsu launched his white signature attack towards the Lieutenant. Chojiro pointed his sword towards the attack and shot a blast of purple lightning to counter it. They were even for a short time, but Zangetsu's attack still overpowered it and heavily injured the white haired Soul Reaper. Zangetsu grinned.

"As powerful as you are, you're still not comparable to a captain. Which means that a few more of those, and you'll be defeated." he smirked.

"You seem to be forgetting what I said earlier."

"What?"

"We have no restrictions on our Spirit Energy or Zanpakuto."

"Well it didn't make much of a difference with you, did it?" he taunted.

"I haven't used all of Spirit Energy yet, you fool."

"What?!"

Chojiro became surrounded by a white aura and held his sword up, extending its blade towards the sky.

"Bankai! Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!" His blade transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot up into the sky. The sky returned several lightning bolts, forming an enormous dome of them, that were all stationed into the ground, with one on top of the dome, remaining shackled to the sky. Dark thunder clouds began to form in the sky above them.

"What...is this?!"

"Captain Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto is not the only one that can affect the weather." He raised his hand and let it fall towards Zangetsu, causing numerous lightning strikes to flash towards the entity. Chojiro tried to catch his breath, still injured from the previous attack.

"Well...it would seem that that's that."

"Are you so sure?"

"!" As he began to turn around, he was slashed diagonally upwards. He fell over onto the ground, his consciousness beginning to fade. His Bankai disappeared and became his Shikai again, materializing next to him.

"You're quite powerful. If that was my final sword release, I'd have lost. But unlucky for you, it's not."

"Yes...I heard...that you have four sword releases…"

"That's right. So what made you think that the battle was over? For someone to defeat me, I would have had to at least release all of my power." He brought his larger blade up and let it rest over his shoulders. The smaller blade was still in his other hand, hanging at his side.

"Dual...blades?"

"That's right. It's quite an anomaly in terms of Zanpakuto, I hear. In fact, other than mine, the only other Zanpakutos are Ukitake's and Kyoraku's, right? Too bad for you." He raised his arm above him, ready to strike, when he felt an incredibly powerful Spiritual Pressure behind him.

"Ah. The Old Man."

"All things in the universe, turn to ashes. Ryujin Jakka."

 **X**

"Why don't we take this outside?" Soi Fon grabbed Zangetsu and brought him into an unpopulated section of a forest.

"Fighting me in a landscape that suits you?"

"You know how I am. I'm an assassin. The more places to hide, the better. It's just my style."

"I can see that. As a show of respect to you, I'll release from the start. Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!"

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi." She launched herself off of one of the trees and went towards him.

Zangetsu countered her finger piercer. He tried to slice her in half but she used Flash Step to escape.

'She's fast. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less.'

"Getsuga Tensho!" He launched an energy wave towards her, which she avoided and appeared behind him. She tried to stab him, but he dodged to the side, and slashed her arm.

"Tch!" She faded away.

"A clone?!" Soi Fon was now in front of him and stabbed him in the chest twice. He was surrounded by the Homonka's energy as the poison consumed his body and became the giant butterfly crest.

"That was easier than I thought."

"I could say the same to you." Before Soi Fon could turn around, Zangetsu slashed her across her back, making her fall to the ground.

"You're not the only one that can create clones, Captain. Slay." Zangetsu's Bankai morphed into the large blade, and the smaller one manifested in his other hands.

"I wonder how bad you would be hurt at point-blank range? Let's find out. Getsuga Tensho!" He placed his foot on her head to hold her down, and unleashed a blast that destroyed the surrounding ground. When the smoke cleared, Soi Fon was motionless. Zangetsu watched her for a minute before walking away, going back to kill Marechiyo.

"Bankai. Jakuhō Raikōben." Zangetsu could barely look behind him before he got blasted by a missile. He got sent flying past the barracks and into a large open field where it exploded. Soi Fon slowly got up and released her Bankai, going back to her Shikai. She stumbled forward, trying not to fall over again. After a few moments, she regained enough stamina to use Flash Step once and appear in front of him. He was on the ground, trying to remain conscious.

"Nigeki...Kessatsu…" She stabbed him in the back twice before he was swallowed up by the Homonka's poison.

Soi Fon began to walk towards Squad 2's Barracks before falling over and blacking out.

 **X**

"All things in the universe, turn to ashes. Ryujin Jakka!" Yamamoto released his Zanpakuto, causing humongous waves of fire to be summoned all around them.

"Heh. So you want some too?"

"I can tell that you're not the real one. You've sent copies to every squad."

"Oh, so you know? What difference does it make?"

"It means I can kill you. The original still has Ichigo Kurosaki trapped in it. But you don't." He swung his sword towards the Zanpakuto, who jumped back and prepared to counter the wave of flames.

"Getsuga...Jūjisho!" He moved both blades in an X-shape and fired a powerful cross-shaped blast that cut through the flames and went towards Yamamoto. The flames quickly reformed and Yamamoto sliced through the attack.

"It is useless. Ryujin Jakka's flames can never be extinguished."

"I'm not trying to extinguish them. Getsuga Jujisho!" Once again he launched a cross-shaped energy blast through the flames, dispersing them for a moment. Yamamoto once again began to slice through the attack, but after he did so, Zangetsu Flash Stepped in front of him and sliced him across the stomach with both blades. Yamamoto punched him, sending him flying back. Zangetsu faded away, and the real one appeared behind him.

"Getsuga Jujisho!" This time, Yamamoto could not block the full force of the attack, and was injured by it. Zangetsu landed back on the ground.

"You're strong. It seems that I won't be able to beat you with just these." He held up his blades, and then placed them side by side.

"Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu." A large column of Spirit Energy engulfed him and the swords. When it cleared, Zangetsu now wielded a single large blade. It was like a combination of the two: the smaller blade comprised the inside of it, with the handle fixed to it, while the base of the sword is slanted and the blade continues with a section jutting out from the underside as a guard. A chain was attached to it, that looped around and connected with the sword just before the point. The larger part of the blade was white, and comprised of the large blade in the previous release. Zangetsu's power was now much higher, on par with Captain Unohana's and Head Captain Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure.

"Now why don't we try this again? Getsuga Tensho!" Zangetsu unleashed a huge blast of energy towards Yamamoto. He quickly created a wall of flames that surrounded him, but they were easily cut through and almost sliced Yamamoto in half, had he not used Flash Step to leave right then.

"Hmm…"

"Heh. Not so strong anymore, huh?" Zangetsu summoned his mask.

"...Bankai. Zanka no Tachi." All of the flames that were surrounding him suddenly went towards its Zanpakuto before being absorbed by it. His Zanpakuto became ancient and worn out, no longer shining metal like in its sealed and Shikai states.

"Am I supposed to believe that old katana is your Bankai? Hah! Hahaha!"

"Higashi: Kyokujitsujin." The blade became scorched by intense flame, concentrated around the edge.

"Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui." Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure rose immensely, as he became surrounded in a red aura of fire.

"Huh?" Zangetsu looked around, noticing that the trees were beginning to rot, and that any water and snow on the mountaintops or in ponds were quickly drying up.

"I suppose it doesn't affect you, because you are a Zanpakuto Spirit. But if you were a normal human being, you'd find it hard to be able to breathe right now. Have you noticed? This aura surrounding me. It is invisible to everyone unless I purposely want it to be seen. This heat in my sword and in my body; it is 15 million degrees, the same temperature as the sun's core." [15 Million Celsius, 27 Million Fahrenheit.]

"What…?"

"My Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, takes all of the flames that I release in my Shikai, and absorbs them into the blade. It drains the moisture in the entire Seireitei, and makes me untouchable thanks to the heat that I emit. If you touch me, or if I touch you even once, you will be completely erased from existence."

"Impossible…."

"Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin." Yamamoto shoved the tip of his sword into the ground, where corpses that were lit on fire arose from the ground, rupturing it.

"And these are…?" Zangetsu asked, jumping back.

"These are the combatants that fell to my sword. My victims. I will have them beat you down until there's nothing left."

"We'll just have to see about that. Getsuga Tensho!" Zangetsu launched a hollowfied Getsuga Tensho towards the corpses, destroying lots of them. He then held his hand on his mask and swiped down, adding another layer, his Vasto Lorde mask.

"Gran Rey Cero!" He pointed his horns towards the remnants of the skeletal army and charged up a red cero, before firing it at them, creating a large explosion. But just then, Yamamoto appeared behind him and wasted no time impaling him with his sword.

"GAH! You….bastard….."

"As powerful as you are, you are arrogant. And you have a one-track mind as well. Those zombies I summoned were only to distract you, to stop you from focusing on me. You remember what I said, right? A single hit from my Bankai and you will be burned to a crisp, quite literally. Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin!" He sliced his sword upward, splitting Zangetsu in half, and incinerating both parts of him until nothing remained. Yamamoto undid his release, re-sealing his sword and forming his staff around it. The moisture returned to the air, causing the bodies of water and trees to come back to life. He used a healing kido on Chojiro before helping him back inside.

 **X**

"Raise your head, Wabisuke!" Izuru released his Zanpakuto and slashed towards Zangetsu, who dodged and took out his own Zanpakuto. He went towards him and struck. Izuru blocked it.

"Tch." Zangetsu Flash Stepped behind Izuru and slashed him, making him fall over. He quickly got up and slashed Zangetsu 3 times.

"Damn." Zangetsu (the sword) fell down to the ground, being to heavy to hold.

"Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu." The sword became smaller, and Zangetsu could now lift it again.

"It doesn't matter how many times heavier you make my weapon. Once I release it again, the weight becomes normal. And now that this sword is even lighter than the original, it will take longer to immobilize me." He used an incredibly fast Flash Step to cut through Izuru, making him fall over.

'Damn. I never thought of that weakness before now.' Izuru thought, before blacking out.

"Ah. He's unconscious. I suppose that will make this much easier to use then." Zangetsu turned around and found Rose, Squad 3's Captain, standing there, taking his sword out.

"Bankai. Kinshara Boutōdan." Rose's sword became enveloped in golden light before transforming into a conducting baton. A giant black rift opened up in the sky, similar to a Garganta. Out of it came a pair of giant hands, with one of them holding an enormous conducting baton. About 20 large beings with petal-shaped protrusions on their faces appeared, with half lined up on Rose's right, and the other half lined up on his left. He rose his baton and swung to the left swiftly and elegantly.

"First Act: Sea Drift." The beings surrounded Zangetsu and began spinning around, creating orbs of water in their hands. A giant body of water manifested and surged around the Zanpakuto Spirit.

"Water?"

"These beings...they're dancers. A dance troupe of death. They'll be taking your life." he said menacingly. "Second Act: Prometheus." The water orbs changed into bursts of flame, and the whirlpool surrounding Zangetsu turned into a sea of flame.

"GAHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?!"

'No Zanpakuto should be able to control more than two elements! It's impossible!' Rose conducted upwards, causing the fire to raise up, completely enveloping Zangetsu. After a few moments, Rose ceased the dancers, causing Zangetsu to fall over onto the ground, heavily burned.

"You see, my Bankai is simply a series of illusions. But as long as you believe they are real, they become real. If you believe you're drowning, you'll drown. If you believe you're being burned, you will burn. Covering your ears won't help you either."

"You knew...I would be powerless…"

"That's right. As a Zanpakuto Spirit, you don't have internal organs like humans, Soul Reapers, or Hollows. You can't shut out your hearing. And even if you found a way to stop listening, you would still be able to sense the sound due to your Spiritual Pressure. You are completely powerless before my ability."

"D...Damn it…"

"You should know that I'm not as soft as some of the other captains. Third Act: Ein Heldenleben." Rose swiped his baton downwards, while the orbs in the dancer's' hands now reformed, this time made out of blood. Zangetsu's eyes widened before choking on his own blood, and disappearing."

"Well, that's the end of that. Let's get you inside, Izuru."

 **End.**


End file.
